Search:
[Title Bar]

England Travels: Backyard Blacksmith Workshop

Saturday, April 14, 2018.

Saturday morning, while Stephanie was out running, Chris gave me a tour of his workshop. This is not where his company is, it's the workshop in his back yard where his business started, then once it grew big enough he moved the business to a different, larger location. Originally the building was a bus garage.

Chris' company, Topp and Co. creates new metalwork for buildings wanting a certain look, as well as doing historical restoration. He's done work all over England and beyond, for St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, York Minster, and more. He's built replica cannons, done custom railings, gates, railings, and much more.

Blacksmiths from all over the world come and stay for a week or two to work and learn. Eric (?), a blacksmith from Poland, was there working on restoring the ornamentation on a wrought iron gate.

2018 England trip pictures
Part 1: The Arrival
Part 2: Cambridge (Part 1)
Part 3: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Part 4: Alnwick
Part 5: York
Part 6: Sutton Bank
Part 7: Thirsk
Part 8: Helmsley and Rievaulx
Part 9:  Backyard Blacksmith Workshop
Part 10: Bagby Airfield
Part 11: Byland Abbey
Part 12: National Railway Museum
Part 13: Cambridge (Part 2)
Part 14: Cambridge Botanical Gardens
Part 15: The Departure

Displaying all 22 pictures

000-DSC_1116.jpg

000-DSC_1116-th.jpg

Pieces the blacksmith was working on. The white paper they sit on have...(more)

001-DSC_1117.jpg

001-DSC_1117-th.jpg

The spikes on the gate had all sorts of ornimentation that have rusted over the...(more)

002-DSC_1118.jpg

002-DSC_1118-th.jpg

Close-up of an original pieces with sketches on the paper of the pieces that...(more)

003-DSC_1119.jpg

003-DSC_1119-th.jpg

A restored piece.

004-DSC_1120.jpg

004-DSC_1120-th.jpg

Heating up a piece of wrought iron in the forge.

005-DSC_1121.jpg

005-DSC_1121-th.jpg

The "holder" for rods is actually the barrel of a fucking cannon that Chris...(more)

006-DSC_1123.jpg

006-DSC_1123-th.jpg

Eric heats the metal in the forge.

007-DSC_1125.jpg

007-DSC_1125-th.jpg

A piece of the wrought iron gate needing restoration, where pieces of the...(more)

008-DSC_1127.jpg

008-DSC_1127-th.jpg

It's hammer time! Working and shaping the wrought iron.

009-DSC_1128.jpg

009-DSC_1128-th.jpg

The metal red hot as the blacksmith hammers it.

010-DSC_1129.jpg

010-DSC_1129-th.jpg

The outside of the workshop.

011-DSC_1130.jpg

011-DSC_1130-th.jpg

Artfully forged wrought iron gifts by blacksmiths who have studied with Chris.

012-DSC_1131.jpg

012-DSC_1131-th.jpg

A gift from a previous student/apprentice.

013-DSC_1132.jpg

013-DSC_1132-th.jpg

One of the forges on the right and a pneumatic press in green on the left.

014-DSC_1133.jpg

014-DSC_1133-th.jpg

Another, bigger, pneumatic press.

015-DSC_1134.jpg

015-DSC_1134-th.jpg

Blacksmith tools: hammer, anvil, and brush.

016-DSC_1135.jpg

016-DSC_1135-th.jpg

The fire in the forge.

017-DSC_1136.jpg

017-DSC_1136-th.jpg

Eric and Chris talking.

018-DSC_1137.jpg

018-DSC_1137-th.jpg

Top view of the hammer, anvil, and brish.

019-DSC_1139.jpg

019-DSC_1139-th.jpg

Another view of the anvil with forge in the background. Note all the tools by...(more)

020-DSC_1140.jpg

020-DSC_1140-th.jpg

More wrought iron art on the top of the workshop.

021-DSC_1193.jpg

021-DSC_1193-th.jpg

The van for Chris' company Topp & Co..



2018 England trip pictures
Part 1: The Arrival
Part 2: Cambridge (Part 1)
Part 3: Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Part 4: Alnwick
Part 5: York
Part 6: Sutton Bank
Part 7: Thirsk
Part 8: Helmsley and Rievaulx
Part 9:  Backyard Blacksmith Workshop
Part 10: Bagby Airfield
Part 11: Byland Abbey
Part 12: National Railway Museum
Part 13: Cambridge (Part 2)
Part 14: Cambridge Botanical Gardens
Part 15: The Departure

This page last modified May 13, 2018.
Home
RSS Feed
feed